Fatherhood for Pau Gasol has been beyond just the biological aspect of it. Having been married to Catherine McDonnell since 2019, the 2x NBA champ has a son and a daughter, and announced the addition of yet another member on July 28, 2024. Apart from his own children, however, the former Los Angeles Lakers star also became a father figure to Kobe Bryant‘s children after his former teammate’s unfortunate demise.
In fact, because of the close bond between the two, Kobe even named Gasol the godfather to his eldest daughter, Natalia. And now we’ll take a look at every aspect of Gasol’s fatherhood.
Pau Gasol and Catherine McDonnell’s children
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It is no secret that the Black Mamba‘s death took a heavy toll on Pau Gasol for a significant amount of time. In an interview with People, the Spaniard admitted it was only experiencing parenthood for the first time that made him any better. Notably, Pau welcomed his first child, Elisabet Gianna, in September 2020. “Our little one has finally arrived!! The delivery went really well and we couldn’t be happier!! Elisabet Gianna Gasol…. a very meaningful name for our super beautiful daughter!! the ex-Lakers star announced in an X post.
The middle name, Gianna, was kept as a tribute to Kobe’s daughter, Gigi Bryant, who passed away along with him in 2020. Any guesses on the godmother to the 2x NBA champ’s firstborn? Vanessa Bryant. Speaking of the experience of becoming a father, Gasol stated he really enjoys his time with his baby girl. “Ellie is incredible and we are looking forward to expanding our family. We’ll see what number it ends up being, so one at a time…,” he told People.
It was probably his emphasis on the amount of work and dedication that a kid requires that he waited for two years before welcoming his second child, his son Mark, into the world. “Our baby boy has arrived… We are officially a family of 4…” Gasol captioned the IG post shared in December 2022.
Now it seems the 44-year-old has taken the 2-year gap concept between two children kind of seriously. Gasol will soon be welcoming an additional member to his family of 4. “New Rookie signing! Gasol starting 5, coming this fall 2024 season,” he wrote in the caption to the post featuring all his family members. An interesting highlight of the photos was Elisabet and Mark wearing Big Brother and Big Sister t-shirts. However, as mentioned above, this is not an addition just to the Gasol family, but also in a way to the Bryant family.
A closer look at Gasol’s bond with Kobe Bryant’s children
The Black Mamba often faced accusations of not being an easy teammate to play with. But how long before one could call the 5x NBA champ his friend? It’s clear that 7 seasons together was enough time for Gasol to form a bond that still stands. Even with Kobe gone, his friend from Spain has held that bond as the utmost priority. And the reason is as simple as unwavering mutual respect on both ends.
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“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother,” he said of Kobe in his HOF speech. Notably, even Gasol entered Kobe’s life when he needed it the most. The LA Lakers icon had not won a championship in 6 seasons, which one can assume how tough it would’ve been on him, considering his competitiveness. With Gasol on his side, scoring clutch points and reducing the burden on the 18x All-Star, the duo appeared in 3 consecutive Finals, winning two of them (2009 and 2010).
No wonder that the 5x NBA champ made Gasol the godfather to his eldest daughter, Natalia. But more than that, there was a proposed deal that seems to have held the Spaniard, a father figure to not just Natalia but all of Kobe’s daughters. “Send me your sons and I’ll teach them how to be tough, to fight, to work and go for it… I’ll send you my daughters so you can teach them about culture, awareness, things like that,” the 18x All-Star once said to Gasol. The friendship was deep enough that even with Bryant no longer in this world, Pau kept the deal.
While he time and again visits the Bryant family, and supplies them with heartfelt gestures, it seems he has tried his best to keep a part of Gigi also alive with his daughter Elisabet’s middle name. Yet another instance of Pau being there for Kobe’s daughters was at Bryant’s statue unveiling this year. He was seen sitting beside Natalia Bryant, comforting her in what seemed to be an emotional moment for both. So it’s clear Pau Gasol has experienced the essence of fatherhood beyond just the biological aspect.
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